Financial Times

It often pays to trust the people …
By Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM is travelling these days. Hong Kong, Macao, China and Singapore are his destinations. The good thing about travelling without entourages of buddies, glamorous events to attend, making speeches or meeting big wigs, is the chance one gets to keep one's eyes and ears to the ground. It is like good meditation… letting things and events pass by, yet being mindful and alert capturing only the essence of things. When one looks around one sees that there are lessons to be learnt, lessons that help us redefine our own directions. It is indeed true that situations and circumstances differ. But the basic tenets and the principles are the same, no matter what the situation or the circumstances are.

In Hong Kong, Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa's controversial security reforms led to mass street protests by the people last week. Two of his unpopular cronies of ministers (called secretaries) in charge of Security and Finance had to resign immediately to enable Tung to save face and make a public apology to the people. He appeared on television and pledged to the people that he will mend his ways of governance and be more consultative in the future. He called for the peoples' renewed confidence and support to help him get Hong Kong out of the current post-SARS, low performance economic mess. He came out sincere and honest and placed trust in his people. He could have ridden the high horse with his masters in Beijing being firmly behind him. But he chose the more humble approach of placing his trust with the people of Hong Kong and in turn, asking for them to trust him.

In Singapore, posters still adorn billboards where the slogan, "Let us fight SARS together" call on people to join hands with the government. Early this week, a memorial event was held for the 33 dead and commendations made to the many ordinary Singaporean 'heroes' who assisted in managing the epidemic, now officially declared to be a thing of the past. Singapore's ministers are constantly telling the people that the nation is in trouble on the economic front.

They call on all citizens to make sacrifices and work with determined effort to get out of the situation. Ministers themselves have taken the first wage cuts while the civil servants have followed suit. Keeping the nation state's global competitiveness intact is the objective. Strategies are discussed openly and shared with the people and their support and assistance sought. The theme for the upcoming national day celebration is "One People, One Nation, One Singapore".

On our turf, (RAM kept in touch accessing the Internet versions of the Sri Lankan newspapers), the Fishy Minister apparently had his own way by appointing his nominee and street protests planned earlier by 'public servants' were withdrawn. He was seemingly pardoned by all. Whether he made a mockery of the principles of meritocracy and transparency was nobody's concern and were non-issues. The only determinant reported was that he wrote a seven-page letter to the 'public servants' explaining his side of the story. For the leadership, as has been in many instances, it is one less headache. After all, one cannot afford to have dissension from the ranks as that may mean falling from governance.

Last week the fiasco on the agriculture front was resolved on the same basis, with not an iota of concern for the 'policy' on subsidies or consideration of the pros and cons of the position of the finance ministry officials (or did we hear other names). On another issue, a foreign 'investor' was quoted to comment on our affairs saying 'what the cabinet decides, the cabinet can change' and so much for policy direction, focus and transparency.

What we do not seem to realise is that people are not fools. For example, when we boast about getting the largest donor assistance package as a plus, whom are we fooling? But if we told them that this is a necessary evil we have to take it on, because we have no other choice that then is different.

It is apparent that the people have not trusted any political group in the recent past with an absolute majority at elections for they have learnt their lesson having done so in the past. It was also apparent that politicians who rode on clean, transparent platforms came out resounding and clear winners. Leaders of other nations seem to have the courage to depend on this trust and ride on it to a logical end. Our call is for our leaders to trust the people and tell them the truth with no frills, no icing … for they are sure to understand.

The writer is a former public servant with wide international experience in public/private sectors in a range of disciplines. He prefers to write under a pseudonym. He could be reached through The Sunday Times FT on ft@sundaytimes.wnl.lk

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